Chapter 12: Terrors of the Amazon II (Part 3)
January 2000
Caleb's POV
It was our fourth night in the Amazon. The further we went, the more this place felt like something out of a bad dream—alive and cruel, with no mercy for human frailty. The fire crackled softly in the center of our camp, and we sat around it like shadows clinging to light, trying to ignore the suffocating dread that loomed just beyond the treeline.
Captain Penny had assigned me, Gibs, John, and Kofi to stand guard. I was positioned near the rear edge, eyes scanning the black for anything unnatural. Penny, as usual, did her rounds, checking the camp's perimeter.
Even in the dim light, I could see it—her shoulders were tight, her gaze sharper than usual. She wasn't calm. She was forcing it. Hiding fear behind discipline.
Then—
It began.
A scream cut through the air, high and raw.
Penny snapped into action, immediately sprinting toward the sound. I moved to follow her, but I'd barely taken my third step when I heard it—
Snap.
A twig.
My feet stopped cold.
I turned, eyes raking the darkness behind me. Nothing. But something was there. Watching. Breathing. My gut twisted.
Then a gunshot rang out—sharp, echoing, unnatural.
It only made everything worse.
I froze, pulse pounding in my ears. My hands shook. My thoughts were racing in opposite directions.
Run, Caleb. Run now.
No. Stay. Stay, damn it. You're on watch.
I was torn between instinct and duty. I clenched my fists, trying to steady my breathing.
And then—
Someone screamed behind the tents.
"RUN! RUN—RUN!"
The camp erupted.
Chaos ignited like wildfire. Dozens of people surged from Ama's tent and others around it. Flashlights waved wildly. Voices blurred into a wall of panic. But none of them had reached me yet. They were running—toward me. Not past. Not beside. Just coming.
I stood at the edge of the rear, frozen, the wave of bodies rushing my direction.
Then—
Snap.
Another twig. Louder this time. Closer.
It came from the tree line behind me.
I turned slowly. The air behind me was still thick. Heavier than it had been seconds before. The hairs on the back of my neck rose. Something was approaching. Something deliberate.
My body wanted to bolt. But I couldn't move. I was stuck between the stampede of my people and the whisper of whatever was in the woods.
And then—I screamed.
Not because I saw it.
But because I felt it.
Something was out there, and it was waiting for the right moment to strike.
—
**Chapter 12: Terrors of the Amazon II (Part 3 "ii") **
January 2000
Lola's POV
**Earlier, before the attack**
The fire had begun to fade, glowing with soft reds and oranges as night pressed in around us. We'd sat there for hours, warming our skin and hoping to forget what lay beyond the glow. Eventually, the night whispered louder, and we all began moving toward our tents. That's when Joseph gently helped me inside. He always did that—quiet care, never rushed.
His hands moved slowly over my arms, rubbing warmth into my skin. He wasn't just trying to keep me warm. He was trying to reassure me. To hold my fear in his hands so I didn't have to.
**Inside the tent**
The moment I sat down, the weight returned.
The jungle outside was a monster, ancient and alive. Every leaf, every shadow, felt like a test of our will to keep going.
I couldn't shake the truth: we were in the Amazon—deep in it. And each day we survived felt more like a borrowed miracle. I wasn't sure how much longer luck would hold.
Joseph felt it too. I knew he did. His way of dealing with it was to calm me. He started stroking my arm gently, the way he always did when my breath got shallow and my hands started to tremble.
It helped. Not completely, but enough.
I leaned into his touch, just beginning to feel like maybe, just maybe, I could close my eyes—
And then it began.
A scream.
A loud, horrifying scream that tore the night apart.
Joseph shot upright. I flinched, cold running through my spine like ice water.
"Stay here," he told me. His voice was firm, protective. Before I could say anything, he was gone—out into the madness.
I sat frozen for a second, but curiosity pulled me to the flap. I peeked through it, my heart pounding.
Everyone was out of their tents. Their flashlights flicked through the dark like fireflies in a panic. Captain Penny reached Ama's tent first, rushing in like the scream had come from her own throat.
I saw almost everyone else move into Ama's tent. I stayed still.
And then—
Everything went quiet.
Too quiet.
That's when I saw them.
Shadows sliding past both sides of my tent. At first I thought it was one. Then two.
Then three.
Four.
Low snarls followed. They weren't walking—they were stalking. Silent and smooth, like the jungle had birthed them from its breath.
I held my breath. I couldn't scream. If I did, I knew I'd die.
I backed away from the opening and pressed myself into a corner, eyes wide, lungs tight. I didn't move. Not a muscle.
Then—
A gunshot.
Loud. Close. Echoing.
I jumped at the sound. Footsteps thundered past outside the tent. Screams followed.
Still, I didn't move. Maybe it was over. Maybe that was the worst of it.
Then I heard it—
"RUN! RUN—RUN!"
The voice rang out like an alarm.
Suddenly the camp came alive in the worst way. Shouting. Screaming. Chaos.
Joseph burst back into the tent. His face was pale, but his hands were quick. He grabbed a backpack, pulled me to my feet.
"We need to go—now."
We stepped out into something I'll never forget.
Right in front of us, a man lay lifeless. A jaguar stood over him. Blood soaked its mouth.
It lifted its head.
And looked right at us.
JUST AS YOU IMAGINED WE WERE IT NEXT TARGET.
Authors note:
### **Chapter 12 & Beyond**
🚀 **Chapter 12** – The Amazon's **dangers**, survival struggles, betrayal, trauma, and action-packed chaos!
Chapter 12 is divided into six parts to explain the full turmoil and chaos recorded in the amazon, a short time in the amazon cannot express how much love and desire Joseph and Lola has for their unborn child, the Sacrifice, passion and unconditional Love. The assurance they would go through heaven and earth for their kid.
This is the true love of parents.
Chapter 12 emphasis on this fact, as snippet to a future chapter from now. We all would know how would their unborn child respond to this sacrifice of Joseph and
🔥 **Chapter 13** – Introducing **Scott Dawns**, husband to Bunmi Dawns—his **arrival will shift everything!**
🌎 **Chapters 14 - 20** – The journey through **South America into the U.S.**, wrapping up the **first arc**!
🌟 **Second Arc** – The rise of **Timileyin "Timi" Sunday**, the **main protagonist's journey begins!**